The National Transport and Safety Authority has stopped all services to all driving schools in the country. The NTSA services have been stopped as a row between the authority and driving schools escalates. This escalation follows a ruling in which the court suspended the implementation of the Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors and Driving Licences) Rules 2020. The suspension was made to allow the Senate and the National Assembly to review the rules.
“Pursuant to the suspension and through this notice, the public is hereby notified that the NTSA has halted the services listed below in compliance with the judgement as all legal options are explored,” said the notice signed by Transport cabinet secretary James Macharia and NTSA Director-General George Njao.
Thousands of students who score E in KCSE to get college slots
The services halted are licensing driving schools, licensing driving school instructors and renewing driving school instructors’ licences. Provisional driving licence (PDL) applications have also been suspended, alongside test booking for driving school instructors and driver trainees and testing of driving school instructors and trainee drivers.
The NTSA and driving schools have been locked in a row over contentious 2020 traffic rules which sought to have driving school instructors reapply afresh for licences for Sh. 30,000. The regulations also sought to delink driving tests from the Kenya Police and instead have NTSA officers examine the students.
Driving schools in August 2020 moved to court seeking to have the rules declared unconstitutional, and won, leading to the current suspension of NTSA services by the Ministry of Transport.
